A few days ago, I came across a story about a jaguarundi sighting in New Mexico, and I have to say I was pretty excited. I have been following accounts jaguarundis north of Mexico, and I have had great hopes that they will finally have a breeding population in the United States again soon.
Jaguarundis historically ranged into Arizona, New Mexico, and Texas, but we have no breeding population. A few years ago, there was talk of them being restored to South Texas, but I’ve heard nothing new about that project. My guess is it fell apart as the new austerity regime took over.
Jaguarundis have been known in the fossil record from Florida, and of course, there are countless sightings of jaguarundis in Florida and in Alabama as well. None have been confirmed, of course, and if they were discovered in that part of the country, they would be the first ones known in historical times. And they definitely would have descended from “released captive animals. But the current thinking is that most of these Southeastern jaguarundi are misidentified domestic cats, bobcats, and even otters.
After hearing that story about the possible jaguarundi in New Mexico, I went on a Google safari for potential sightings in the US.
Most of them were quite weak sauce, and I have to say that people really do need to look carefully at photos before posting them
One of the most egregious is this one by a blogger called “Texas Cryptid Hunter,” who claims that the below trail camera photo is of a jaguarundi in Missouri or Mississippi.
That animal sure does look like some kind feline, right?
Well, it’s not feline at all.
It’s a gray fox. There are two big identifying features that say this is a gray fox in a subtropical summer coat. The masking is very unjaguarundi-like, but it is very much like a gray fox. But that alone isn’t enough to scream gray fox at me.
Check out the tail. There is a black stripe running down the tail. No other carnivoran on this continent has that feature, and jaguarundis certainly don’t.
Gray foxes and their cousins, the island foxes of the Channel Islands of California, have this feature.
Further, notice that the deer and the creature seem to be eating the same thing. My guess is that the trail camera was set out near a deer feeder, which shoots out corn. This is a common practice where it’s legal, especially in late summer. It allows the deer hunter to figure out which bucks are developing the best antlers.
A little known fact about gray foxes is they are quite omnivorous, and they particularly like to eat corn from deer feeders.
My guess is the deer and fox were eating corn on the ground, and because the fox is in summer pelt and is holding its ears close to its head, it looks a lot like some kind of cat.
It’s an easy mistake to make. I initially thought the first gray fox I saw running in the broad daylight towards me was a cougar!
Cougars and jaguarundis are close relatives, and compelling molecular data suggest that we ought to classify them in the same genus, which I tend to do. So I can see where someone might see a gray fox and think it’s a jaguarundi.
I am friendly with the cryptozoology community, but I do know there is a tendency among people who “believe” in “cryptids” to be hold fast to bad pieces of evidence. I don’t think there is compelling evidence for bigfoot or long-necked dinosaurs in the Congo, but I’ve run into people who absolutely know these creatures exist.
So it is really hard to have a conversation with people who have decided that a piece of evidence is “the truth.”
I also know there are some sportsman types who will tell me there is no way that can be a fox. If you can find me a photo of a jaguarundi with a black tail stripe like the animal in the photo, I will stand corrected.
You won’t find it.
I still think that jaguarundis belong in the US, but if that asshole orangutan who thinks he runs this place gets his way, we will have big ol’ wall that keeps them stuck down in Mexico.
And we won’t have a chance at restoring jaguarundis to our southern border country.
